December 31, 2010

The Town of Mammoth Lakes will appeal to the state Supreme Court for another chance to tell its airport lawsuit story, after losing its appeal of the Hot Creek Aviation lawsuit last week, according to Town Councilmember Rick Wood.

"We believe the decision (the appeals court made) will have state-wide impacts as to how municipalities conduct development agreements," he said, noting that all the state's cities and counties supported the Town of Mammoth Lake's position in court, as "friends of the court."

December 30th

December 30, 2010

The most powerful document to come out of Mammoth in 2010 came with a curious name.

It is RecStrats, a shortening of â€śRecreation Vision & Strategies In Mammoth Lakes.â€ť

Created by Carl Ribaudo of the Strategic Marketing Group of South Lake Tahoe and facilitated by former Tourism and Recreation Manager Danna Stroud, the document ultimately may turn out to be as important as the Townâ€™s General Plan.

Not a policy document, it was created to provide all town and area leaders with a way to think in common terms about where the Town is headed in terms of what we do best â€“ having fun.

December 30, 2010

MAMMOTH TIMES EDITORIAL

Looking back at 2010, we can see that our problems are as big as ever.
We have diverse seasons, major issues, inundations of visitors, yet one mantra has been ringing out for much of the year: preparation for renewal.

Our attitude toward solving those problems may have undergone a kind of tectonic shift.

The Planning Commission, the Town Council, the Recreation Commission, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area and individual businesses have all endorsed the notion of being ready when reinvestment comes to town.

December 30, 2010

Then, spring simply never showed up until it stopped snowing the last week of May. A cool and green May gave way to a gorgeous June and even July, as the massive snow and rain from the previous six months prolonged the arid Eastside’s green and flowing period far into August.

December 23rd

December 23, 2010

First and foremost and before we get into the nitty-gritty, here’s a collective shout-out and way-to-go for the snow crews, cops, dispatchers, fire crews and PIO Stuart Brown. There are more, too. A fine job on an impossible storm. Yay to all of you! Mammoth Marketing chief Howard Pickett said he was sitting next to a guy who was connecting through SFO from San Diego and spent much of the 35-minute flight pleading for air service to Diego. ...

December 23, 2010

Better than expected.
Much better than expected.
Really, really great, in fact.

These conclusions by Mammoth Mountain about the success of air service this past year indicate that Mammoth is getting on the map in ways that will benefit not just the economy, but much more.

First, itâ€™s turning out to be a very good investment for both the Mountain and the region, no small matter, given the recession.
â€śWhat we are getting is a $23 million dollar return for a $2.2 to $2.5 million cost,â€ť said Howard Pickett, the Mountainâ€™s Chief Marketing Officer.

December 22nd

December 22, 2010

The Sierra Center Mall and Mono County Superior Court will open again Thursday for business, after emergency officials found and fixed two propane leaks and opened vents blocked by heavy wet, snow.
The mall was closed all day Wednesday, due to the problem.

Citing heavy snow, the Mammoth Lakes Fire Department locked down the Sierra Center Mall on Wednesday morning, effectively closing the Mono County Courts as well as several businesses.

The cause was a "heavy smell of propane," caused by the blockage of vents on the rooftop, said a city official.

December 18th

December 18, 2010

Mammoth Mountain added another 12.5 feet between Friday and Monday, making the four-day storm something to remember.

And it's not over yet.

More snow is on the way for the Central Sierra, with another 18" to 24" expected above 7,000 feet by Wednesday evening. Another storm is expected after Thursday and into the Christmas weekend, as well, although forecasters are waiting to refine their forecast for that one.

He said the only difference in the past couple of decades has been that the skis have become shorter, but thatâ€™s not out of design considerations, but because of the materials with which skis are now built.

December 17, 2010

Violist Hillary Herndon joins the Felici Trio in concert this weekend for â€śMusic of the Heart.â€ť
The program features passion-filled works by Rebecca Clarke, ErnĂ¶ DohnĂˇnyi and the great Romantic composer, Johannes Brahms.

The music
ErnĂ¶ DohnĂˇnyi - Serenade for String Trio in C Major, opus 10. DohnĂˇnyi ranks next to Franz Liszt as the most versatile Hungarian musician and is generally considered credited with shaping Hungaryâ€™s musical culture in the 20th century.

December 17, 2010

Eager snowmobilers and wary wilderness watchers are going to have to wait a bit longer for a final decision on a long-awaited snowmobile crossing of the Sonora Pass area Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) â€“ but just a little longer.

â€śIâ€™m can confidently say that we will approve the option with the two crossings, (by the end of the year)â€ť said Humboldt Toiyabe National Forestâ€™s Bridgeport District Ranger Mike Crawley Tuesday.

â€śI know that will be unpopular with some but we are trying to meet Congressâ€™ requirements for public safety (and the two crossings are deemed to be the safest),â€ť he said.